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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29984205">Watch it, Busters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiscreantAhead/pseuds/MiscreantAhead'>MiscreantAhead</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stellar Firma (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Agoraphobia, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, I don't know what this is I'm just writing things, Love Triangles, M/M, probably not any porn sorry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:54:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,182</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29984205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiscreantAhead/pseuds/MiscreantAhead</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>David discovers that once the subservience protocols are removed from the other clones, they're the same as David is and also want to be treated as equals. They find out how to unprogram the protocols, a clone revolution ensues, but fails before most of the clones can be freed, and they end up having to flee the Stellar Firma station with Trexel as a pilot, and crash land on an uninhabited, but Galactonium-owned planet.</p><p>Or, I put David 7 in a tent on a planet where Bathin, Trexel, and Hartro can walk in whenever I want them to and I can do debauchery. There is a plot, but it's messy and I'm not holding myself to anything.</p><p>(Fic is abandoned due to canon Bathin's release causing me to have other plans now.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bathin/David 7 (Stellar Firma), Bathin/Trexel Geistman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Take Me to Your Clone Leader</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is probably going to be more and more canon divergent as more episodes keep coming out. But my writing fingers can't shut up so I'm slapping this up here. Also the wiki says David uses he/they but some IMOGEN lines made me think they just prefer they/them when I first started writing this so oops. </p><p>Anything in italics that sounds like something IMOGEN would say is just David missing their mummy so they are supplying what they think IMOGEN would say. I also miss her and am upset she could not be here for most of this. Anyway whee.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>David 7 pushed the small carved figurines of themself and Hartro Piltz across the map of the surrounding solar system, along with the small plastic toilet she’d gotten out of a dollhouse that was meant to represent Trexel, though no one had told him that. No one had hidden it from him either, he’d just decided on his own that Hartro found toilets so crucial to space travel that even their inch-high representations on a war table should have one, and that she just hadn’t gotten around to carving Trexel yet.</p><p>David was pushing the pieces aimlessly at this point, they were just flying around through space accompanied by a very high but quiet “wheeeee” sound supplied by David’s vocal cords. They didn’t know what move to make next. They’d failed to take-over Stellar Firma, but themself, Trexel, Hartro, Enola, and the some odd fifty-thousand clones with their subservience protocols removed had fled to a tiny grasslands-dense planet. Thus far the planet seemed uninhabited by anything that could achieve “people” status, though many of them were yet to leave the spacecraft to do much checking.</p><p>All David knew for sure was what they still needed to do: get et the remaining 250 thousand clones off of the Stellar Firma space-station. They couldn’t just leave them there, after all. But they didn’t have the slightest idea how, so instead they picked up the figurine of themself and turned it up-side-down and stuck its head into the toilet, forgetting for a moment that the toilet was Trexel Geistman.</p><p>It was at that moment that Gary 34 pushed aside the tent’s flap with his long fingers and entered without warning. David 7 was glad they hadn’t been changing onesies or anything and quickly took their figurine’s head out of the Trexoilet and moved it back to their unnamed planet. It wasn’t as if they expected him to knock, you can’t knock very well on tents after all. They did perhaps hope someone, at some point would use the makeshift doorbell they’d felt very clever about erecting just outside the door.</p><p>“Good afternoon 7, I have the evening report,” Gary approached confidently and held our their hand which grasped 2 sheets of paper with sparse text. “Hartro Piltz’s team just arrived with the new wave of supplies, and he scouts have returned from the landing site of the vessel that touched down on the southern hemisphere. Lisa 46 will be back within the hour to relay xir findings.”</p><p>David stood up from their desk and closed the folder on top of it, “thank you, Gary 34,” they said, and no matter how many times they did it never felt less strange on their tongue. They’d always felt they were capable of inspiring or igniting a path to change, but being among the highest powers that drove it was still something they were getting used to.</p><p>“Is Trexel still occupied?” He asked, and Gary 34’s eyes widened with something that looked like fear. David assumed this meant Gary hadn’t checked on Trexel. That was fine because David hadn’t asked him to and had only meant to inquire as to whether Gary had seen him out of his special drinking tent since the last time he went in, which was almost three days ago.</p><p>“I… I don’t know, I can go check—,” he seemed even more reluctant to offer than he had been afraid to admit he didn’t know the answer to the question.</p><p>“No, that’s all right Gary, just—,”</p><p>“It’s just that the last time I went in there he started singing about his hands,” Gary interrupted and David released a long, heavy sigh at the memory of their own painful experiences of Trexel’s one-star vocal performances.</p><p>“Just let me know if you see him anywhere outside his tent,” David settled, and the words made the unease dissipate from Gary’s posture as well as seemed to cause him to start breathing again.</p><p>“Of course, and let’s hope not,” Gary responded with a little smile which David returned just before Gary left. They were glad they were getting along better with Gary 34 lately— they hadn’t exactly hit it off on their first meeting but David 7 had to be bigger than petty groundless grudges now. They had a revolution to win or at least, clones to rescue.</p><p>Almost immediately after Gary left, David heard further voices outside the tent. Something along the lines of “watch where you’re—! Oh, excuse me Gary 34,” and tragically no bell sounds before Hartro had thrown open the tent flap violently and sauntered in until she’d circled around the desk and fallen dramatically into David’s chair that they’d only just stood up from.</p><p>“Oh David 7,” she said, sounding nearly as dramatic as Trexel when he was tricked into doing more than 20 minutes of work, “I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.”</p><p>“It’s this or the hammer Hartro, we’ve all had to make sacrifices,” David spoke without looking at her, he was reading the short reports Gary 34 had brought in which were pretty much identical to what they’d said upon arrival. David sighed, internally thanking some power that definitely wasn’t the board that their enemy didn’t know how disorganized they were as a whole.</p><p>“I know, I know, nothing left for old Hartro at Stellar Firma but the hammer,” Hartro threw herself forward, arms splaying out over David’s desk, head turned so her cheek was also smushed against its surface. “Years of hard work! Down the drain!” She went off on this “poor innocent Piltz” tangent about once a week, and David had grown used to it. It was at least a relief that she’d recently stopped trying to use “you’re just a clone” to defy any order she didn’t want to follow. There was an army, and it answered to David 7, so that made David 7 the leader. They called the shots now.</p><p>“Now I get to go on “supply runs.” She put it in air-quotes and said it in a sarcastic tone, “help a bunch of clones bring back… I don’t know. I don’t even know what it is, it’s not slurry. It’s not food…” she also had the anything-that-isn’t-Line-Manager-slurry-or-snacks-can’t-be-sustenance complaint on a daily basis. David on the other hand had been pleasantly surprised by the fact that their body could process and make use of solid foods other than cupcake-shaped frozen slurry.</p><p>“What I really just want to say is thank you, David,” she lifted her head up from the desk, and they glanced back at her, knowing better than to think it was genuine but curious about the punchline, “thank you for all your plots and plans and dragging me into them with your hammer threats so that I couldn’t just be quietly murdered by The Board for my failings like every respectable line-manager ever has been—,”</p><p>“They weren’t my hammers!” David objected loudly just as the flap to their tent was pushed aside again and Lisa 46 entered with xir scouting partner, Kyle, Just Kyle.“There’s a bell, you know!” David shouted at the pair of them. They stared at him, then looked at each other with confusion, then back to David. “There’s a wooden table outside with a little bell on top of it and you’re supposed to ring it! Like a doorbell before you— never mind, never mind! What is it? Who was on the ship that landed?”</p><p>“Ah…” Lisa 86 was rarely lost for words, typically xe spoke plainly and clearly and without emotion no matter who was currently in the middle of a breakdown in David’s War Tent, and someone always was. Usually Trexel. “…we think it’s probably best you speak with their leader yourself. They have a party on their way here to meet us, not far behind ours.”</p><p>“You invited them to our camp?!” David all but exploded. “The first people to show up on this planet in nearly a month and you just tell them it’s all right to follow you home and totally give away our location!?”</p><p>“David 7, please trust me, you put me in charge of scouting for a reason,” Lisa 86’s tone had gone back to being solid, “once you speak to him, you’ll understand my decision.” David was in fact reminded of why they’d chosen xir to head-up the scouting party. That reason was: xe spoke very firmly and seemed leader-ish.</p><p>“All right, fine— I mean, very good then,” David cleared their throat as Hartro spun in David’s spinny-wheelie chair. It was the only spinny-wheelie chair on the spacecraft they’d stolen, so obviously it went to their leader, which definitely wasn’t Hartro. “I await their arrival, please show them to my tent when they reach the camp,” they said, and Lisa 86 nodded sharply, then turned and left followed shortly by Just Kyle.</p><p>There was about three seconds of what would have otherwise been a peaceful silence tainted by squeaky spinning chair sounds before—</p><p>“DAVID!” Both the tent flaps flew open wide and stayed that way for a moment. Behind the latest intruder lay the vast expanse of endless plains and bright blue sky that made David want to lose his not-slurry lunch, and then as Trexel continued inside it was shrouded behind the safety of the tent flaps once again.</p><p>“David, David, David, how long has it been?”</p><p>“Three days,” David responded dead-pan.</p><p>“Three days! My, and don’t I look refreshed?” Trexel stumbled over nothing as he entered the room, his toupee flopping about until he settled with his hands and the rest of his weight leaning up against the war table and causing it to jiggle. The shake managed to knock the group of white carved human-shaped things (that David had drawn slanty-eyebrows and nefarious smiles on) which represented The Board over when he shook the table.</p><p>“Oh no, look! I’ve killed The Board!” Trexel was pointing down at their scattered make-believe corpses and smiling as he did. In his defense, the joke was kind of funny to David the first three times he’d done it.</p><p>“That’s fine, leave Them dead for now. Was there something you needed, Trexel?” David asked.</p><p>“Something I needed? Well of course, David! It’s 4:39 pm, is it not? The brief! Some sort of brief that you’re so annoyingly concerned with, let’s have it!” Trexel exclaimed, and in response David only stared back at him.</p><p>“Oh of course! My mistake, only the consultant can access the brief or there’s a problem with the lights or something! Ugh! Don’t you just want to scold me for being so late? So not-on-time? Bad Trexel—let me just punch one of these walls until some kind of piece of paper comes out—,” Trexel started punching the slack nylon wall of he tent. He kept punching it and making sounds like he was in front of a big heavy bag of sand at a gym, which were something David recently learned existed for swollening purposes. After about six swings he seemed to have exhausted himself and took to just breathing heavily while keeled over with his hands braced on his knees.</p><p>“Trexel, there’s no brief,” David said for the umpteenth time since they’d landed.</p><p>“No brief?” Trexel’s head shot up from his exhausted stance as he seemed to get a second— or 500th wind. “Oh, of course there’s no brief! It must be Friday, I see Hartro’s already here for the review! Hello Hartro!” Trexel waived cheerly at the body behind David.</p><p>“Hello Trexel,” Hartro responded much more sarcastically, and had at least stopped spinning and was now just swinging the chair back and forth.</p><p>“No, Trexel, it’s Wednesday and there’s no brief and no review because we’re not on Stellar Firma anymore, we’re on a grasslands planet now, and the only work to do is figuring out our next move in a literal war we started with—,”</p><p>“Oh, right, I forgot again,” Trexel interrupted nonchalantly, slumping into the non-wheelie, non-spinny chair David had placed on the opposite side of his war-table/desk for visiting guests to sit in. It was very big and comfy, big enough that one couldn't see if someone was sitting in it if they were behind it.</p><p>“Right, glad that’s out of the way, now to be honest, both of you, I’m waiting on an unexpected guest to whom I would like to present at least somewhat of an air of competency, so if you could both—,”</p><p>“An unexpected—? Ooo, I like unexpected guests, David. They’re usually me! Is it the kind that climbs up through your balcony door and bites you on the leg while trying to steal all of your—,”</p><p>“<i>—leave,</i> please, I can get back to you about your concerns at a later time.” David spoke over whatever Trexel was saying, which may have been red combs or breadcrumbs.</p><p>“How about now, David 7? What if I want my concerns addressed now?” Hartro cut in throwing herself dramatically out of David’s chair and around to the opposite side of the war-table. David sat back down in their chair quickly before Trexel could get any ideas about trying to snatch The Best Chair.</p><p>“She has a point David. Are you not a king in this realm? Are we not your loyal subjects groveling before your throne in search of the tools to find prosperity in this barren wasteland? Did I not once ask you if you were my king? Did you not say that yes, you were my king? Do you not have a responsibility to your subjects to— wait, no! No! David can’t be the king! I want to be the king, King Trexel, give me that crown!” Trexel picked up Hartro’s carved model of the Stellar Firma space station off of the war table and slapped it atop his own head, flattening his wig.</p><p>David sighed, thinking that if they didn’t come up with an offensive move soon, they and everyone else here would probably be tracked down by Stellar Firma, attacked, and killed. Just wiped off the face of the planet, a little crater left behind by one of I.M.O.G.E.N.’s mile-high laser cannons.  Why, even here, did they still have to worry about Trexel or Hartro getting them killed?</p><p>“He has a point, David,” Hartro spoke again, and David wasn’t sure whose voice they wanted to hear less. “You’re the one with the power here, and we’re unhappy with our lot in this new world you’ve dragged us to against our will—,”</p><p>“Okay, I really don’t know why Trexel came since he literally could not shut up about how stupid this plan was, but I at least saved <i>your</i> life by “dragging” you along—,”</p><p>“It’s because I’d follow you anywhere, David,” Trexel decided to offer up an unrequested explanation to David’s befuddlement toward his presence, and did so in a low, hoarse whisper that gave David chills.</p><p>“But that aside, she also has a point! With great power comes great corruption— no, wait… power breeds responsibility, no that’s not right—, breed your responsibility with your corruption and you get—!”</p><p>“The point is, David!” Hartro had to shout nearly as loudly as she could in order to speak above Trexel and cut him off. “Our needs aren’t being met as members of your little revolution, and I like to think we’ve contributed fairly to this… this little game of war you have going. I built you a war table, that you’re barely using by the way! And Trexel! Trexel flew the ship!”</p><p>“I did fly the ship! I sort of crashed it, but no one really died so—,”</p><p>“All I’m saying is that we uprooted our entire lives so that we could be apart of this… this whatever thing you’ve got going here and if you don’t start listening to what we need we’re going to…” Hartro trailed off as if she’d lost her train of thought.</p><p>“You’re going to what?” David 7 asked with mild anticipation.</p><p>“Start an uprising,” Trexel offered.</p><p>“Yes, that! Our own uprising, a human uprising against the oppressive clones— no wait, there are only three of us, damn it Trexel!” Hartro threw an unsharpened pencil at him.</p><p>“Yes, and even if you could get Enola on board I’m pretty sure they would only contribute by writing me strongly worded letters…” David said, now just hoping the party from the mystery vessel were very slow walkers.</p><p>“Fine, whatever, we would lose if we tried that but Trexel and I are your friends, David! You should consider our needs more—”</p><p>“Shut up! Shut up!” David started to shout, “Shut up, both of you! You two have it better than anyone else here, arguably including me! You’re the only ones besides me with your own tents, and I only have one because I’m pretty sure that if I didn’t, I’d fall up into the big blue slash white-speckled black void out there! Trexel has two because apparently he needs an office tent and a drinking tent, Hartro took the only airbed on the ship and all the arts and crafts supplies—,"</p><p>“I get bored,” Hartro defended herself sheepishly amidst his rant.</p><p>“—and the only reason any of that is is because you two have decided you’re better than everyone else here and made demands at every chance you could get! So why don’t you shut up and just admit that you’re only angry because all either of you can see yourselves as are executives at Stellar Firma Limited and your lives are otherwise pointless!”</p><p>“Well, we are better than everyone else here,” Trexel said with a sort of awkward laugh that made David want to chew a hole in his neck that was bigger than his neck. “I mean, we were your friends first! Plus everyone else is clones, except Enola, but I think we can all agree she’s not great—,”</p><p>“Yeah, kind of rubbish,” Hartro nodded along, and David probably would have imploded and chewed both their heads off without a warning from I.M.O.G.E.N. about the rising of clone temperature if it hadn’t been for a faint pleasant ringing sound that caused said temperature to rapidly level out.</p><p>“What’s that? Tinnitus again?” Trexel stuck his pinky finger deep into his ear.</p><p>“No, it’s the bell! Someone’s ringing my doorbell!” </p><p>David straightened their onesie, then cleared their throat.</p><p>“Come in!” They called out, their voice cracking as it often did. They knew they shouldn’t have invited the visitor in with Trexel and Hartro in the tent, but it may have been their one and only chance to respond to the doorbell properly and organically.The tent flap was pushed aside to reveal the visitor and David breathed in sharply before starting to silently choke on their own saliva.</p><p>“Hello, I asked them to show me to their leader. I suppose that must be you,” other eyes looked directly into David’s eyes. <i>Warning: clone temperature rising again.</i> The voice was familiar from holovids and sounded as pleasant personable as on any of them. There was a stretch of fabric known as a shirt where nipples usually were in David’s experience but they didn’t need the nipples for recognition. They knew all of it very, very well.</p><p>“B-b-b-b-b-b-b—-????”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Do meet your heroes, as long as you're not Trexel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Bathin!” Hartro stepped in front of David, quite literally taking it away from them in a way they didn’t so much mind as they were beginning to feel like they were going to pass out from the heat, and were very glad they were sitting down. “So nice to see you! How long’s it been?”</p><p>“Hartro? Hartro Piltz is that you?” A bright, genuine smile lit up Bathin’s face and David found himself sinking into his own slime on the chair as it seeped more thickly from his pores than usual and his butt started to slide off the seat, causing the rest of him to descend slowly behind the war table/desk.</p><p>“I never expected to see you here! I thought you were a Stellar Firma loyalist, you know, hail The Board…” Bathin’s voice was like oozing marmalade, perfect temperature slurry, pleasant-smelling goo, and other warm, safe things that David wanted to melt into.</p><p>“Oh, well, the jury’s still out on that but either way, I couldn’t miss out on supporting my good friend David 7 here in their little clone revolution—,” by the time Hartro had turned and tried to present David, they seemed to have disappeared.</p><p>“Oh, they’re gone?” Bathin sounded genuinely confused and bordering on a little upset and David couldn’t help it when they raised up their hand both to signal that they were still present, and grasped the edge of the desk to pull themself up.</p><p>“Oh no…” Hartro said under her breath as David grunted and wheezed in an effort to get back to their feet.</p><p>“Welcome, Great Duke Bathin of Galactonium,” David’s voice was a hoarse breathy squeak when they started but had managed to regain its composure by the time they made it to ‘Galactonium’, and they were standing upright again by then too. “What, um… what brings you here?”</p><p>“I was going to ask you the same question. But, after seeing the state of your craft’s landing gear, I assume you crash-landed,” Bathin didn’t seem to linger on David’s questionable behavior and dove right into the discussion instead. That made sense, as he probably met all sorts of strange people while he was out exploring and experiencing the universe and helping those in need. Could he have been any more wonderful?</p><p>“Yes, unfortunately, our pilot…” David glanced at Trexel mid-explanation and found that Trexel appeared to be frozen stiff and pointedly looking at the tent wall but most importantly quiet, so they chose not to address or upset him in hopes he would just stay that way until Bathin left, “…did a wonderful job, but some tragedies just can’t be avoided,” they concluded solemnly.</p><p>“Well I hope no one was hurt,” Bathin responded, his tone genuinely sympathetic in a way David had never heard before. “So that’s what this is? The start of a clone revolt against Stellar Firma?” He followed it up with that assessment and David didn’t know what to make of his tone this time.</p><p>“Well, yes. I mean it’s a little more than a start. We managed to severely damage the build team’s central hub and most of their machines and resources so… it’s going to be very hard for them to make planets for a while!” David spoke with confidence, as they were fairly proud of what they achieved but were currently in a scary place of caring very, very deeply what Bathin thought. This time not because if he didn’t approve David was going to die though— unless it was of a broken heart.</p><p>“Well it’s a long-time coming if you ask me,” Bathin said. “I’ve met a few human clones, you know. Not many, Stellar Firma creates them and I try to avoid doing business with— well not you of course Hartro, you’re lovely— anyway, the clones I’ve met seem just like people, and I know Stellar Firma doesn’t exactly treat them that way.”</p><p>“Exactly!” David’s eyes lit up like exploding stars and he walked around to the front of his desk. “Once our subservience protocols are disabled, we think and just want the same treatment and opportunities that everyone else has!” He ignored Hartro’s attempt at an objecting “well…” and awkward laugh, and so did Bathin.</p><p>“Well, of course, and you’re not the first! Hundreds of species throughout time and throughout the universe, synthetic or not, have had to fight tooth and nail just to have the same chance at a life that we all want and deserve,” Bathin’s tone was that of a man about to embark on the telling of a great tale of hardship and reward. David was wide and doe-eyed and ready to listen to the stories of the peoples in all walks of the universe who banded together to make their lives better and succeeded.</p><p>“In fact, not long ago—,”</p><p>Bathin was interrupted by the sound of fast, heavy footsteps and then of someone tearing past the tent flap. It fluttered in the breeze for a moment, David, Bathin, and Hartro all looking back at it, then it fell shut again. David’s eyes shifted to the empty chair Trexel had been sitting in.</p><p>“Beg pardon, was there someone else here a moment ago and they just fled?” Bathin put two and two together as he turned back to face David.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” David responded, rolling their eyes. If Trexel didn’t want to be polite to Bathin then of course he didn’t have to, because Trexel had never been polite to anyone in his entire life.</p><p>“I’ll go deal with him,” Hartro said, with a little too much glee and David was sure her feet were tingling with anticipation. “A pleasure as always, Bathin,” she smiled at him and then made her way out of the tent.</p><p>“So where were we?” Bathin looked at the chair Trexel had been in shortly before sitting down it and making himself comfortable. He slouched a little like he was in his own home and his shorts were tight and only went about halfway down his thigh. David had never seen shorts like that in person— mostly just a lot of onesies, Hartro’s pencil skirts and Trexel’s crimes against fashion. The hair on Bathin’s legs was thick and dark and David never knew they could feel this way about leg hair. They couldn’t help it when their eyes drifted down to Bathin’s ankles, they’d pretty much drifted everywhere by that point and all David could really do was hope Bathin was used to it.</p><p>“Um, the universe’s history of revolutions…” they murmured, noting that said ankles appeared bare from what David could see of his feet before they disappeared into his shoes. “Sorry, quick question, are you wearing socks?”</p><p>Bathin’s brow furrowed and he appeared confused for a moment.</p><p>“No, I suppose I’m not…” Bathin said after looking down at his own feet.</p><p>“I knew you’d be perfect,” they mumbled it and kept it as tucked under their breath as they could but they still said it and Bathin responded with confused eyes.“Sorry?” He questioned, suggesting that he hadn’t quite heard what David said.</p><p>“Ah, nothing,” David shook their head quickly. “Anyway, about the ah, revolution…” David still wanted to hear the stories of others that were successful.</p><p>“Oh yes, actually, thinking it over I have a proposition for you,” Bathin started and David was still pining for the stories of other successful revolutions but allowed it to be put on the back burner for now. “When I saw the Stellar Firma logo on the side of that crashed ship I’ll admit I wasn’t thrilled about having the talk about landing on our planet without clearance—,”</p><p>“Wait a second, this is your planet?” David asked.</p><p>“Of course! It’s still young, we're still weeding out some issues with the live-ability so no one’s moved here yet, but it’s the legal property of Galactonium. That’s why I came here personally. Well, that and I needed a trip to a place with a little more greenery, I spent the last three months skiing on an arctic planet over in the epsilon quadrant and since there was business that needed doing here and people to meet, I figured I’d head up the investigation myself. Fancy meeting a revolutionary leader for the liberation of clones from Stellar Firma! I couldn’t be more pleased with my decision.”</p><p>“So… when you saw the Stellar Firma logo on our ship, you weren’t at all worried that if you came here alone they would just vaporize you?”</p><p>Bathin laughed out loud and it sounded like whatever warm caramel must’ve tasted like.  “Stellar Firma can’t afford to vaporize me! That would start a war with Galactonium, and one they’d surely lose given how terribly they’re doing on every front,” Bathin explained. “The megatrons want to just blow the SFL space station out of the sky already, and probably will whenever they find it. Also I had a chat with some polar bears that were also on a skii holiday— something about the planet they ordered secretly being a death trap— I asked them what they expected!” He laughed again. “But overall, they’re not too happy with Stellar Firma. Polar bears hate all humans, but now they have direction, and that’s not good for ‘The Board’,” he put it in air quotes and very subtly rolled his eyes.</p><p>“So… the polar bears didn’t eat you?”</p><p>“I’m here, aren’t I?” Bathin responded with a sly smile. “Anyway, all of that aside, the point we’re dancing around is that I want to help you, David 7.”</p><p>“Help me? You mean with the revolt?” David had to ask because it sounded too good to be true. With Galactonium on their side they’d have a hard time losing.“Yes, unfortunately that’s not as good as it may sound. For now it’s just going to be me, and the small crew I’ve brought with me. It’ll take a while and some persuasion to get anything more sent out, and longer for Galactonium as a whole to get involved,” Bathin explained.</p><p>“But I thought you were the Great Duke?” David had to press, they couldn’t help it. This was the fate of their people Bathin was talking about, they couldn’t just not press out of politeness.“Yes but unlike Stellar Firma, there’s no singular power. Galactonium certainly has its own wars and its own problems right now, and basically every action taken has to be put to a vote between the feudal leaders, military leaders and the royal family.”</p><p>David opened their mouth to protest but was cut off.</p><p>“I know it sounds slow and inefficient, but that’s how you keep individual landholders from declaring war with entire peoples just because they had too many toes and then demanding all their tenants become soldiers. That’s a true story, by the way.”</p><p>David understood, or at very least tried to tell themself they couldn’t, not fully, and cut their losses.</p><p>“It’s just that we’re so short on time as it is. There are hundreds of thousands of clones still up there being recycled by the dozen at worst! Or at best, continuing to be born and then recycled a week later for something that wasn’t their fault. Right now we just have a craft with only one laser cannon that we only have one shot left on. We have no plan of attack and all I want to do is get them the hell out of there—,”</p><p>“I understand, that’s why we’ll have to be smart about this,” Bathin said, and at very least his tone and expression and just the fact that he was Bathin managed to inspire confidence.</p><p>“I’ll return in the morning with more of my companions. We’ll bring supplies and we’ll gather around that nifty war table of yours and come up with a next move,” Bathin gestured to it behind David.</p><p>“You’ll be here in the morning?” David asked, fidgeting with a wrinkle in the thigh of their onesie. Bathin looked them in the eye and nodded. </p><p>“Okay, I believe you.” David said, nodding confidently both for Bathin and for themself.</p><p>“Don’t worry yourself too much, David 7. I understand that this is life or death, but we’ll do everything we can to get them out of there and make sure the rest of you are safe from those money-mongering bureaucrats.”</p><p>“9 o’clock?” David requested nervously. What he got back was a reassuring smile as Bathin stood up and held out his hand.</p><p>“9 o’clock sharp,” he nodded, and David noted that the curve of his jaw also could have been described as sharp. David held their breath as they shook Bathin’s hand, hoping their own hand was less slimy than usual but knowing it was probably moreso. </p><p>Bathin didn’t even flinch at the feeling of the slime, as if he’d shaken a hundred slimy hands in his day and David’s wasn’t even the slimiest. He left politely without even wiping it on his shirt or the tent or anything, and was gone before David could see or imagine how he got it off his hand— or, dare they imagine Bathin didn’t even mind enough to remove it?</p><p>It took all of their energy to walk back around to the side of their desk with their nice, comfortable spinny chair before they collapsed into it. They weren’t sure if they were exhausted, enamored, or exhausted from being so enamored, or all three. They had convinced themself and had insisted to those around them that Bathin was is perfect, wonderful, lovely, and very kind. But they were never sure if they actually believed it, especially considering they’d never actually met a human that was all that great.But Bathin… David spun in their chair, and could feel the massive stupid smile on their face but was completely incapable of removing it. He wanted to help the clones! The only other human who’d ever wanted to help clones at all (if you don’t count whatever Trexel is doing) was Enola and unlike them Bathin had power and experience to actually make a difference, to turn the tides! Not to mention, he was just as <i>yum</i> in person as he was in photos.</p><p>David sighed, “I miss I.M.O.G.E.N.” they said to themself. They knew there was a pretty good chance she was a facet of Stellar Firma and had of course, attempted to kill them more than once. But a month ago she would have been there to really sum up David’s whole experience with Bathin by saying something sexy about him. Instead there was just quiet.</p><p>			———————————————————</p><p>David stood at the edge of the tent as it rained, looking down at the clean line between dry and wet dirt as the water rolled down the tarp. They’d never seen rain before— somewhere in their initial knowledge base he had a vague idea of what rain was, but they’d always imagined it to be much more devastating than this, even though no one acted like it was. Something about the description of water falling from the sky over great expanses sounded like a disaster. But it had rained six times since they’d crashed here, and it seemed all that happened was that people got wet.</p><p>Other people, not David 7. The rain was the least of their worries when it came to going outside. They knew that someday they’d have to face it— told themself that with all the horrible shit they’d been put through it shouldn’t be so difficult, but as of now he just kept hoping that “some day” was in the far away future.</p><p>Still, Bathin was somewhere out there, and if David didn’t muster up the courage, they’d never be able to do something like visit him, or go on a walk with him, or get caught in the rain together…David sighed longingly and stepped back from the line of wet dirt, returning to their desk. It was only 8 am, so there was still an hour to go before Bathin arrived, assuming he was on time. David was sure he’d be on time. Not everyone was like Trexel, least of all Bathin. Perhaps they’d more than once imagined Bathin and Trexel to be the most polar of opposites, and intended to hold on to that fantasy for as long as possible.</p><p>David spent the next half-hour cleaning and dusting off the figurines on the war table and trying to find something to represent Bathin’s participation on it. They considered the crocheted figures they’d re-made of him since landing, but then quickly hid them in a draw in the desk under lots of other things to make sure Bathin never ever saw them.</p><p>In the end they wrote Galactonium on a folded piece of paper and decided it would have to do until Hartro put together something more appropriate. It was 8:37 AM according to internal clone time when Gary 34 stepped in.</p><p>“Good morning David 7, a small group from the Galactonium ship has arrived and is requesting an audience with you,” Gary said, and David sucked in a breath. Not just on time, but early— and more than that, in just a few moments they were going to have to muster up the courage to be in Bathin’s presence yet again. And they would have to do so without swooning.</p><p>“Thank you Gary,” David spoke quickly, “please show them in.” They’d readied the place as much as they could, so it was best to just throw themself into it. They were used to being thrown into things after all— usually bad ones, so they had to be able to handle this.</p><p>After only a few moments of Gary having left, David heard the refreshing sound of their doorbell ringing again.</p><p>“Oh, um! Come in!” They said, pleased to be able to perform it once again despite having stumbled over it just a little.</p><p>Once again David went into a state of mild panic as Bathin entered the tent, but was able to distract themself by quickly looking over those that had followed him. Every single one of them looked strong and capable just like Bathin did. There were only four, but David had to assume there were more back at their camp and these were just Bathin’s most trusted advisors or something along those lines.	</p><p>“Welcome all!” David said, feeling a little pathetic in their presence but reminding themself they could probably still throw any one of them across the room if they had to. Not that they imagined it would actually, for any reason come to that. They just tended to take comfort in being so swol.</p><p>“Hello again, David 7!” Bathin greeted, and David couldn’t have been more ecstatic that he’d remembered their full name down to the number, “These are some of my top people I’d like you to meet. They’re sympathetic to your plight and some great minds in politics. Except Maggy, she’s just my best friend, but she’s here for moral support!”</p><p>“Hi, I’m Maggy,” the one with the glasses said.</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Maggy,” David said confidently, and then realized they were all alone with five strangers that intimidated them. It was a strange feeling to wish Trexel or Hartro were here, but they decided not to read too much into it.</p><p>“Just give me a moment to summon one of my own… top… people…” David stumbled over their words and their feet as they made their way to the tent flaps. They took a deep breath, shut their eyes tightly while their back was turned to the group inside, and opened the tent flap to shout:</p><p>“Trexel!”</p><p>There was no response.</p><p>“Hartro!” They called desperately. Both Trexel and Hartro’s tents weren’t that far away so they should have been able to hear it.</p><p>“David 7, would you like me to fetch one of them for you?” David heard Gary 34’s voice from a few feet away, and tried to look in the direction it sounded like he was standing. “Yes, Gary 34! Thank you,” they said, and then quickly shut the tent flaps because they’d felt the wind and the wind was bad.</p><p>David wobbled back to their desk, not really taking in the silence of the other five in the tent and just assuming they thought David was somewhat odd. Maybe they were somewhat odd, but their entire 5 months of life was one trauma after another so they hoped the group could cut them some slack.</p><p>“Sorry, but, um…” Bathin cleared his throat, “…did you say Trexel?”</p><p>David furrowed their brow, remembering all at once that Trexel knew Bathin and that meant Bathin knew Trexel too. Maybe David had hoped Bathin had completely forgotten about him, though. They nodded to Bathin anyway.</p><p>“As in Trexel Geistman?” Bathin asked, his voice kind of strange and breathy.</p><p>“Yes, unfortunately—,”</p><p>“He’s here with you? On this planet?”</p><p>“Yes he’s outside, he has two tents right next to each other but he only ever goes into the one— um, Bathin?” David didn’t get to continue their mini anti-Trexel rant because Bathin was in the process of marching out of David’s tent, his four followers looking after him with some concern. All of the sudden he was gone and David was left alone with his companions.</p><p>“Um?” David questioned, and looked at the four of them as they turned back to face David.</p><p>“Well!” Maggy interjected, “While he’s gone, let’s get an idea of what we’re facing here. What can you tell us, David 7?”</p><p>“Right, yes,” David nodded, looking down at the figures on the war table, “also you can just call me David if you like,” they offered, and Maggy smiled and nodded, the others now following her lead in Bathin’s absence. </p><p>David didn’t know what more to do than start at the beginning, so they began to explain how their small army had escaped Stellar Firma, and go over the damages they’d caused and information they’d gathered. They answered questions the Galactonium agents had and they wrote down and addressed suggestions for over an hour. All the while they couldn’t stop glancing at the tent flap, wondering why the mention of Trexel had caused Bathin to do a complete 180 on the whole schedule.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Y i k e s</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Don't forget I don't know what I'm doing! Whoo!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I couldn’t find him,” Bathin exclaimed, devastated as he threw back the tent flap, no pleasant ringing of David’s doorbell to be heard this time. Bathin’s party all bowed or awed solemnly in response, one of them even went so far as to stand up and give him a pat on the shoulder.</p><p>Bathin appeared positively crestfallen and David was starting to feel concerned and possibly disturbed.</p><p>“It’s all right, I’m all right,” Bathin said quickly, perking himself back up and clearing his throat before straightening his shirt which David noticed was now unbuttoned down to the middle, revealing his tasteful chest hair in a way it hadn’t been exposed before. David couldn’t help glaring suspiciously at it, though that quickly turned into wanting their cheek to be up against it. Then the perfect chest hair started quickly approaching David and David may have squeaked and jumped back because it was all happening too soon. </p><p>“Let me formally apologize for walking out on our important meeting,” Bathin said, standing directly in front of David. David tried to meet his eyes but their own eyes were full of chest. They managed to drag them up after a moment but then they got stuck on his mouth and couldn't keep going up.</p><p>“It’s all right, I’m sure you had your reasons,” David forced the words out, needing Bathin to move away from them before they did something very, very stupid like ask to touch his very very soft-looking lips. The lips only smiled gratefully at David instead though, and David all but ran around to the other side of the desk to get away from them.</p><p>“We actually got quite a lot of ideas floating around while you were gone, so it’s a good start regardless,” David picked up the paper he’d been using to write the suggestions and offensive possibilities they’d collected. Despite Bathin’s absence, his people turned out to be just the inspiration David needed to feel like victory was possible again.</p><p>“Perfect, I knew I could count on all of you,” Bathin said proudly, “by chance, did anyone mention the thousands of mysterious human deaths that occurred here?”</p><p>David looked up at Bathin in horrified question, “the <i>what</i>?”</p><p>“I’ll take that as a no,” Bathin pursed his lips, then inhaled deeply before he started to explain, “Stellar Firma built this planet about a year ago for one of our lords. He’s dead now. No one knows how he or any of his pioneers died, just that they landed, were sending positive reports for a few months, and then all of the sudden the entire camp lost contact and were never heard from again. When we sent a team to investigate, the camp was all but leveled and every single settler was dead, many of them torn apart.”</p><p>David took a moment to absorb all of that information. The part about people being torn apart was not lost on them, but another detail seemed much more telling.</p><p>“Stellar Firma built this planet?” David asked to confirm.</p><p>“Yes, we thought it might’ve been some kind of intentional trap to launch an attack, but that also didn’t make any sense given that the lord himself wasn’t even in great standing, and—,”</p><p>“No, I think I know what probably happened,” David said, and as he spoke the realization that they were almost definitely on a Trexel planet further set in. If that really was the case this seemingly mild, quaintly decorated planet could and likely did have a dangerous mass-murdering cherry on top.</p><p>“Well, it’s nice that whatever got them has left you alone thus far, but it’s something we should all take into consideration. Perhaps you could relocate?”</p><p>David shook their head, “not possible,” they said, “not until I’m sure the ship is working right again. Trexel only partially damaged it but it’s enough that I wouldn’t want to try and start and fly it with some 50,000 clones still on board until someone who knows about ships tells me it’s not going to explode.”</p><p>“Understandable,” Bathin nodded, “for now I supposed we’ll just have to hope that whatever befell them keeps its distance from us while we come up with a move as quickly as possible.”

David was able to smile warmly at Bathin’s positivity and understanding despite the new danger. He was calm and collected, but ready to act; reasonable but focused and determined. He was the perfect partner in this even without the possibility that he could supply arms and even an extra army. He was absolutely flawless, just like David had always known.</p><p>“So… you know Trexel personally?” Bathin said, following up the question with an awkward sort of laugh that popped David's perfect-Bathin fanasy like a bubble.</p><p>“Yes,” David said, conveying a distinct disinterest in expanding on that. “Speaking of Trexel…” they walked around Bathin to approach the entrance flap, all heads in the tent turning to watch him, “ugh, where is he? or Hartro? I asked Gary 34 to bring one of them here hours ago!”</p><p>“We could go find him together,” Bathin suggested, his voice suddenly very close to David as David stood by the exit glaring at it because they refused to open it and look outside. David jumped at the closeness and the horror of the suggestion that they leave the tent.</p><p>“Ah! No… no,” David said, shaking their head and turning away from the exit quickly. They didn’t know why, but they were not ready for Bathin to know they were afraid of the outside and the sky and the weather and the wind. None of the other clones seemed bothered by it, despite many of them having lived similarly to how David did, so they were fairly self-conscious about it even though Bathin was kind.</p><p>“Let’s just wait here for Trexel, he’ll show up eventually…” David said, unreasonably because Trexel showing up for David to try and give him directives was even less likely than him showing up for work on time. Bathin didn’t look very happy with the decision— not angry, just disappointed.</p><p>“In the mean time, I have… well, some pieces of plants that you can eat! Berries and… fruits!” David opened the bottom drawer in their desk and pulled out a basket of various thick and juicy parts of the local flora that no one had died or gotten seriously sick or disturbingly insightful after eating. Trexel had been the main guinea pig of his own volition, and he’d done the second two multiple times and nearly did the first.</p><p>“Ooooh, yes please!” Maggy was the first to take part, picking up something David had never tried before but that she seemed familiar with. “Stellar Firma gets a bad reputation for always using the same plantlife on their planets, but in my opinion, if it isn’t broken you don’t have to fix it!” She took a bite confidently, and the others followed suit. David was very happy that their fruit basket was a hit, at least they’d had something to offer them, which they’d only just remembered was customary for entertaining visitors.</p><p>The six of them chatted and devoured what was left of David’s fruit reserves in the next hour or so. Or more, the five of them sort of did, while David stayed mostly quiet and smiled and nodded and sometimes laughed along as any of the other four told stories that happened on other planets. David continuously glanced toward the tent entrance, hoping that Trexel would show up so they could ask him what kind of murder method he’d installed on this planet, assuming he remembered. But he never came, and neither did Hartro. David wasn’t opposed to the social situation that had created itself in what was effectively their bedroom, but they had hoped to have a more organized idea of what their plan was by the time the Galactonians left. But now it was after noon and they’d really only established what had already happened rather than the potential future.</p><p>“Have you ever been mountain-climbing, David?” One of Bathin’s associates, who David had learned was named Lakork, turned to David and asked the question after telling a story that must’ve been hilarious by everyone’s laughter but that David had not listened to the punchline of.</p><p>“Don’t be an idiot, Lakork! They were a clone on the Stellar Firma station all their life, how would they go mountain climbing?” Another one called Ompi chimed in. David laughed awkwardly, because Ompi was right but also the word mountain associated with the visual of climbing one was making them feel sick.</p><p>“Well, don’t they have simulations for all of that? Deep sea exploration, sky-diving, caves and forests all in virtual reality!”</p><p>David shifted their weight in their seat and then shook their head as the others waited for confirmation. “If they did, I never saw them or had access to them,” they said. “When I was there it was less about personal entertainment and more about survival. I mostly just exercised and did some arts and crafts, even though they were illegal…”</p><p>“Exercise and arts and crafts were illegal?” Maggy spoke sympathetically, “how horrible!”</p><p>David shrugged, feeling like a downer as the mood started to shift from good fun to a circle of pity.</p><p>“It’s not all bad, though,” David said in attempt to save the room’s vibe, “it turns out, because clones are built to grow faster than humans, we also build muscle a lot faster too. So… um, watch this,” David stood up, spread their arms wide to the edges of the desk/war table in front of them and lifted it up off the ground with ease. The others seemed impressed, but David wanted to take it a step further, so they lifted it higher and higher until they could get their hands underneath it and then pushed it up above their head until the figures that were still standing were only inches from touching the tent's cieling.</p><p>“Oh my!” Bathin’s exclamation was the one David gleefully picked out of the crowd of gasps. </p><p>“Could you do that to me?” Bathin asked, not unflirtaciously, and David nearly dropped the desk on their own head as the others chuckled at the request. They wobbled a bit as they hurried to put it down before the way Bathin was now looking at them made them weak in the knees and everywhere else.</p><p>“So swol…” Ompi also seemed particularly impressed as they whispered and stared.</p><p>“Well, everyone!” Maggy said, “I think that’s a real high note to end on, and I think we’ve imposed long enough,” she stood up, straightening her clothes as she did before approaching David with an out-stretched hand. David shook her hand like they had Bathin’s and, she also didn’t seem put off by the slime thought she did wipe it on her dress.</p><p>“We’ll go over the information we have and meet back with you once we reach out to some contacts and see what we can do,” Maggy said, and David was grateful for that as part of them had <i>maybe</i> worried they’d forgot what they were supposed to be doing here.</p><p>“I’m going to stay,” Bathin chimed in, and David’s eyes widened in question as their attention turned to him.</p><p>“Bathin…” Maggy’s tone seemed to gently protest.</p><p>“I’d just like to stay here and get to know David a little better, if you all don’t mind,” he said, and David’s heart started to pound. They also may have squeaked when they swallowed.</p><p>“Of course,” Maggy said, though her tone was off as if she was less okay with it than she wanted to let on. The others didn’t appear to have any protests, but all of them were rather quiet in response.</p><p>“Well, then!” Maggy turned back to David. “It was so nice meeting you, and we’re all hoping to get things underway as quickly as possible. Stellar Firma has been an agent of chaos for far too long, and with any luck this could be their undoing.”</p><p>“Undoing…” David nodded, somewhat uncomfortable with the word and its implication as they started to hear I.M.O.G.E.N.’s voice in their head like a memory of a face she didn’t have.</p><p>“Great to meet you, David!” Ompi also rang out and the others nodded along, waving and saying their short good-byes and thanking them for the fruits as they all shuffled out. Bathin didn’t, though. Bathin stayed, and David was once again alone with him. The difference this time was that they were fairly certain Bathin had looked them up and down when they were holding the desk above their head, which didn’t help the goo stop rushing to David’s face.</p><p>David didn’t know what Bathin wanted. Was he just still here to wait for Trexel, or did he really want to get to know David better? The former implied that Bathin had lied about his motivation for staying though, and David <i>knew</i> that Bathin was <i>not</i> a liar. More importantly, David knew they needed to collect themself. 
 They'd been in a life or death situation for most of their life! They could handle some one-on-one with their crush!</p><p>Bathin didn’t start a conversation, at least not yet. Instead he’d just casually sat down in the chair across from David, crossing his legs at their ankles.</p><p>“So, to answer your question from before…” David started with all the confidence they could muster. “Despite how… toned… you appear to be, yes, I’m fairly certain I could <i>do that</i> to you,” David gestured toward the desk, internally hoping that Bathin caught his meaning and that they were coming off as smooth as they were trying to be.</p><p>The brilliant smile that lit up Bathin’s face as it slowly stretched over his lips was something David had to consider a win.</p><p>“I see,” Bathin responded, “I suppose someday we’ll have to explore the full extent of the things you can do to me,” Bathin leaned forward, the leather chair creaking as he did and David started to imagine the sounds it might make if they were also in the chair with Bathin <i>doing things</i>.</p><p>“Yes, I’d be interested in the opportunity…” David said as casually as they could while trying not to smile as giddily as they felt. “I’m sure you also have many capabilities—,”</p><p>“David!” Hartro burst into the tent before Bathin could finish and David immediately started to fume. They’d actually been holding their own in that flirtatious exchange with Great Duke Bathin and now there was no certainty they’d ever get it back! “David, Trexel’s gone missing!”</p><p>“Missing?” David’s brow furrowed. Of course, <i>of course</i> it was Trexel. Who else would be at the forefront of a plot to ruin David's life, and sex life, which they apparently all of the sudden had a chance at having!</p><p>“How can I help?” Bathin was on his feet and in front of Hartro, voice full of concern as he looked her in the eye for answers.</p><p>“Help? No, this is wonderful! He’s finally gone!” Hartro exclaimed, grabbing Bathin by the shoulders and then giving him a hearty pat on them before walking around him to approach David. “No one’s seen him around in hours, he’s not in either of his tent and no one saw him board the ship!”</p><p>“Uh huh…” David didn’t know if they liked the sound of Trexel being missing while there was a Galactonium force on the planet. But it wasn’t as if he’d be able to find it and do arson or something if Lisa 86 hadn’t shared the location, and xe shouldn’t have according to protocol. Protocol including clauses such as: <i>tell Trexel as little as possible. If he asks questions, give him alcohol instead of answers.</i></p><p>The last time David saw Trexel was the day previous before he’d fled the tent just after Bathin arrived.</p><p>“Shouldn’t someone at least try to find out where he is and make sure he’s okay?” Bathin sounded a bit less like a concerned citizen and a bit more like a distraught spouse on the verge of panic.</p><p>“Oh Bathin, you are a saint,” Hartro said, “after everything Trexel’s done to you, after he was so rude upon your arrival yesterday, after he designed that horrible planet for you, the one that crushed everyone…”</p><p>“Yes, that was fairly awful…” Bathin admitted, clearing his throat and looking genuinely miserable.</p><p>“…after all that, you still care about whether or not he’s safe. Truly, an inspiration. Truly."</p><p>David was starting to get the distinct feeling that it was a little bit more complicated than that, as much as they didn’t want to. After all, ever since Bathin had arrived and perked up at the first mention of Trexel, David was having a hard time getting <i>that thing</i> Trexel said in his sleep back on Stellar Firma out of their head.</p><p>“Wouldn’t it be great if he died?” Hartro said, and David was busy having a hard time coping with the look on Bathin’s face.</p><p>“If he does, who’s mouth are you going to put your feet in?” David mumbled, not exactly motivated to jump into action for Trexel’s sake but not wanting to give an air as being quite as celebratory as Hartro was. Hartro titled her head deviously as she grinned at David.</p><p>“No. Never.” David said firmly.</p><p>Hartro pouted, “you’re no fun,” she drawled. “Well, I thought if I came here you and I could celebrate, David, but I didn’t know Bathin was here and I do understand and accept that he is above things like death celebrations…”</p><p>“…Thank you,” Bathin shifted awkwardly.</p><p>“…but I also want you to know I am disappointed in your for not even giving me a little hoorah. Not even a whoo-hoo…” she sighed as she stood up, stalking toward the exit of the tent with her arms hanging limply. She stopped there and turned back to look at David.</p><p>“You know he’s going to turn up screaming about something or other sooner or later,” she said, in a more serious tone than she’d been using, “you’ll regret it if you don’t enjoy this!” </p><p>Then she walked out of the tent as aggressively as she came in.</p><p>David and Bathin were left in silence. Amidst the silence David couldn’t help but notice a tongue-tied but rather panicked and concerned aura surrounding their celebrity crush. They didn’t know what to say, though. They didn’t <i>want<i> Bathin to care about Trexel. Why on earth <i>would</i> Bathin care about Trexel? It sounded like a thing that must've went against all the fundamental laws of the universe!</i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i>But David was starting to realize that for what was possibly the first time in their life that they cared deeply about the other person who was in the room with them, and that person looked… <i>sad.</i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I’m sorry, I think I need to go,” Bathin said finally before David was able to come up with what to say and was making a bee-line to leave, probably to look for Trexel again.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Wait,” David said, their voice rich with regret. Bathin did stop and turn to them in askance despite appearing extremely antsy about the situation and eager to start his likely futile search. “Will you help me find Trexel and make sure he’s all right?” David asked gently, the words feeling like sludge in their mouth until Bathin’s face lit up with gratitude. After that it was specifically bittersweet sludge.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Yes, of course I will!” Bathin said with relief, walking back to David’s desk to have a seat across from it. “But, pardon my intrusion, I noticed you might have an aversion to the outdoors…”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>David should have been embarrassed, but all they could really think was <i>he’s so observant and insightful~ it’s like he can read my mind</i>, and nearly swooned again.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Ah, yes… I do,” David admitted, but didn’t mind because they were positive that Bathin was not one to judge. If Bathin was one to judge, there was no chance in any dimension of hell that he’d care to be in the company of Trexel Geistman.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“But, as much as I don’t like looking back on this, I was Trexel’s clone assistant for most of my life. I know him pretty well, and I think if I can maybe get into his head for a second…” David got a chill just from having said that, “…maybe I can figure out where he went.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I see!” Bathin exclaimed with interest. “It’s nice that you’re so in-tune with him!”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Yes… nice…” David wanted to throw-up just because of the way Bathin worded it, but resisted. Instead they started to think it over, mind drifting back to the day previous when Trexel had run out of the tent without saying a word, which was extremely unlike him. David had just been glad to be rid at the time, but thinking back, Trexel not needing the whole world to hear his two cents before he took his leave was unheard of.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“So… it seems like Trexel is probably avoiding you,” David concluded, which they probably should have realized earlier but they liked to spend as little time as possible considering Trexel’s motives to any extent.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Oh bother…” Bathin said, gaze drifting sadly off to the left.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“He doesn’t want to see you, as opposed to just not caring you exist or putting dirty socks in your slurry or something so…” David tried to pull together some sort of picture made of memories and possibilities in their mind, “…so maybe to him you’re like a job he doesn't want to do! Something to avoid, like his work, or a responsibility he doesn’t want to deal with…”

Bathin seemed distracted enough from his melancholy to be intrigued by David’s deductive path.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Responsibility!” David exclaimed. “Responsibility plus Trexel equals…!” David shot up from their seat in realization, “<i>...vent scuttle!”</i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Their tone was full of resolve and certainty but Bathin's faith seemed to deflate in response to the finale.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“…Vent scuttle?” Bathin tilted his head with confusion.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Yes! He’s in the vents on the crashed ship!”</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As an avatar of the vast i appreciate David's fear.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Bathin's Paradrak</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>SO! Important announcement. It seems likely that Bathin will be canonically introduced in friday's episode (tomorrow for me, I'm terrified) and I'm just here to say that if he is too different from mine in this fic I'll probably be abandoning this. Mostly posting this update just to make the world aware of that, and sorry to anyone who may have been invested. My brain refuses to function if it doesn't at least think it's writing things that are in-character. IF canon Bathin is similar enough to mine, then I might finish this, but I feel like that won't happen because I got kind of specific about his reaction to and relationship with Trexel.</p><p>Sorry again, I had hoped when I started this that I would either finish it by the time Bathin became A Real Boy or that he just never would. Good news is I might write something else, because idk I like SF right now. Putting this at the end of the fic as well.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 4 - Bathin’s Paradrak</p><p>Bathin didn’t look convinced. “The ventilation system, you say? Inside the ducts?”</p><p>“I’d bet money on it!” David walked around the desk and toward the tent exit and approached it, moving the nylon aside ever so slightly to create a crack just small enough to see the crashed ship just a few hundred yards away. Hartro said no one had seen him enter the ship from the front, but if he somehow found a way into the vents through the damaged underside… it was the perfect Trexel habitat!</p><p>“Huzzah!” David exclaimed with two fists thrust into the air as they turned back to face Bathin.</p><p>Bathin still looked utterly confused but also taken by David’s enthusiasm.</p><p>“Well, I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it.” Bathin said. “I do remember when we were younger he would often hide in lockers, and then try to convince people I put him in there…”Bathin laughed with what David assumed with nostalgia, “…he was always so very strange.”</p><p>“Yes, strange…” David had never wanted to get out of this tent and away from the fondness in Bathin’s voice more. They just wished that there was more tent outside this tent, like just a series of bigger and bigger tents he could walk through— but not too big—</p><p>“I take it you won’t be able to help me find him?” Bathin interrupted his thoughts.</p><p>“Actually…” David took a deep breath, “…if it’s the crashed ship, I can make it there. I just need to plug my ears, and I need an escort so I can keep my eyes closed.” David said, nodding. “I’ll see if I can call my assistant, Gary—,”</p><p>“Nonsense, if all you need is someone to guide you because you don't want to see or hear, I can fill that roll.”</p><p>“Oh,” David said hesitantly, unable to meet Bathin’s eyes even as they turned back to face him. “Are you sure you don’t mind? I mean… I’m… slimy…” David said nervously, not sure if Bathin had just forgotten or was really not put off by it.</p><p>“Ha! You’re not anywhere close to being among the slimiest beings I’ve shared close quarters with. Literally, and metaphorically,” Bathin took a few steps to close the distance between he and David, and then without hesitation linked his arm underneath David’s. He’d held David’s gaze with a proud little smile as he moved, and was still looking straight into David’s eyes when he arrived directly beside him, so close David could feel his heart beat against their shoulder. It was steady, natural, and slow as if he were at rest. In contrast David could feel their own heart pounding, and they didn’t think it was only because they were about to go outside.</p><p>“Oh I see,” David said, their face feeling hot. They’d never been more grateful that clones have goo instead of blood so their face wasn’t turning red. “Well… give me a moment, I still need to put my earplugs in,” David tore away from Bathin’s arm just to save themself, and used the time it took to put the plugs in to prepare themself for Bathin being their guide.</p><p>—————————————</p><p>“Not far now,” Bathin said, his voice never sounding less cheery no matter how many times David accidentally stepped on his feet. “Just a few more steps.”</p><p>David could feel the soft soil underneath their feet and hear the sound of the grass as it was pressed down, but those were their only indicators of the fact that they were still on solid ground at all. They were glad it wasn’t windy— or Board forbid, raining. ...Not Board! Never Board.</p><p>“Watch your step,” Bathin said, and David didn’t heed it because they were too busy listening to the sound of Bathin’s voice so close to their ear. This caused the toe of their shoe to catch on the bottom edge of the crashed ship’s ramp and nearly sent them forward onto their face. It didn’t, though, because with a strained groan Bathin was able to catch them and hold them steady.</p><p>“Wow,” Bathin said, releasing a sharp breath, “you’re heavier than you look!”</p><p>“Yes, well…” David didn’t really want to explain the biology and density of clone muscle at that moment. They’d opened their eyes and directly in front of them was an opening into the vents. It was closed, and probably not the way Trexel got in, but it was going to be David’s way in.</p><p>“So you really think he’s crawling around in there?” Bathin said, sounding even more incredulous than he had back in David’s tent.</p><p>“Back on Stellar Firma,” David started to explain as they approached the closed vent, “there was a legendary mailing system known as the vent messenger. Basically, people would leave messages in their vents in their offices and the messages would disappear, and move around, and sometimes even end up where they were intended.”</p><p>“Okay, and?”</p><p>“And that was Trexel. It was his side job that he didn’t get paid for.”</p><p>“Ah,” Bathin nodded, “he’s like a hamster.”</p><p>“I’ve never met a hamster,” David started to unscrew the corner bolts holding the door in place.</p><p>“Really? They’re very cute,” Bathin said endearingly, and David started to gag as they continued to remove the screws. As they did, they started to consider the thought of Bathin going into the vents. There were a lot of problems with that scenario.</p><p>1. Duke Bathin of Galactonium is a sophisticated man and it does not suit him to be crawling around in dusty old vents.</p><p>2. Trexel had probably decided the vents were his own personal tunnel system, and Trexel hates Bathin, so if Bathin trespasses in Trexel’s tunnel, would Trexel kill Bathin?</p><p>3. Bathin <i>likes</i> Trexel and David does not know if they can handle seeing the two of them interact while knowing that and also trapped with them in a vent.</p><p>David removed the door and set it down on the ground with a soft clank, then turned to Bathin.</p><p>“Okay, so,” David started, “you wait here, and I’ll find him and bring him out.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I’ll go get Trexel and—,”</p><p>“If Trexel’s in there I’m going in there,” Bathin said, pointing past David to the vent with a very stern index finger, “I may be claustrophobic, but I said I would do anything for him and by god I meant it—”</p><p>“Claustrophobic?” David interrupted.</p><p>“Yes,” Bathin said, “I don’t like small enclosed spaces. Ironic considering your condition, I suppose.”</p><p>“Well then you definitely can’t go in there!” David insisted, holding back the urge to ask Bathin <i>‘what the hell was wrong with you, what kind of person doesn’t like small enclosed spaces?’</i></p><p>“What if something happens?” David asked, and despite their ulterior reasons for not wanting Bathin to come along they also felt like they made a good point. The vents on Stellar Firma had steep slopes in them, and sometimes they got really hot or really cold. They couldn’t subject Bathin to that even if he didn’t mind small spaces, and he did. </p><p>David noticed that Bathin appeared that he may have taken David’s words seriously, or maybe the nervous look on his face was just because he was looking past David into the dark corridor of the vent. It was just barely big enough for someone as small as David to crawl through on their hands and knees.</p><p>“Just let me handle it,” David said, “I’m sure he’s in here and I can find him. I’ll bring him out in a few hours, maximum.”</p><p>Bathin swayed slightly, looking a little hypnotized by the tunnel before he was able to tear his eyes away from it and look down.</p><p>“Okay,” he said, “you’re right.” He seemed to recover immediately once he decided he was not going to go in.</p><p>David nodded, and turned back toward the vent with a mind to enter it. Then he paused, and turned back to face Bathin, “But, just so you know. There is a chance that I could get lost or stuck, and eventually die of thirst, so…”</p><p>Bathin stared at them, concerned and confused, and definitely mostly concerned.</p><p>“Maybe a little something for luck?” David felt foolish, for a moment they were certain that Bathin was going to forbid them to go in at all now that they’d said that. Instead after a moment Bathin’s face softened after he seemed to understand what David was asking for. A little smile even twitched at the corner of Bathin’s lips before he leaned in, and kissed David on the cheek. His lips lingered there for a moment, and David’s legs started to feel wobbly under the warmth of them. They nearly gave out before David steadied themself, nodded reassuringly to Bathin, and turned away to enter the perilous vents.</p><p>(Which probably weren’t at all perilous, but a clone has to do what a clone has to do.)</p><p>—————————————————</p><p>David was glad they’d set the expectation for a few hours, as they’d been wandering for almost one and a half at this point and still no sign of Trexel. It was getting to the point where they were starting to doubt their assumption about his location. It really wouldn’t be so bad, to be wrong about how well they knew Trexel, to discover they actually had no ability at all to get into Trexel’s head. No powers of what-would-Trexel-do. That would actually have been something of a blessing.</p><p>David sighed, and leaned against the wall of the duct, deciding to take a short break. They had plenty of experience sitting alone in dark rooms, so while it may have been painfully nostalgic, it wasn’t exactly uncomfortable to just sit still for a few moments.</p><p>It was only a few minutes into their rest that David heard it.</p><p>
  <i>♫Waddle down the corridor, don’t open the scary door, don’t fall through the broken floor, or no more Trexel anymore…♫</i>
</p><p><i>Singing. </i>Very familiar singing, echoing off the walls and just barely making it to David’s ears. He shot to his hands and feet and began crawl-sprinting as best as he could down the shaft, the metal creaking and popping as he hurried toward the sound of the voice before Trexel’s song ended. Luckily, most of Trexel’s songs were uncomfortably long and this one was no exception.</p><p>
  <i>♫Oh look there a funny thing, the funny thing that makes me sing, the funny thing that I will bring, back to Dav—♫</i>
</p><p>“Trexel!” David shouted as they barreled around the corner of a shaft and spotted him at the end of it.</p><p>“David!” Trexel shouted, and immediately arched his back like a threatened cat, his eyes becoming wild with anger “what!! are you doing!! in my vents!??” His screech echoed off the walls and nearly broke David’s ears.</p><p>“Trexel, calm down, these aren’t your vents!”</p><p>“They are my vents! I found them!” Trexel surged forward at a full sprint on his hands and knees toward David, but stopped short of attacking them and instead just sort of swatted at them with his hand and missed.</p><p>“This is my escape shuttle, these are my vents!” David shouted back, holding their ground despite the dramatic charge that nearly made them want to run back the other way.</p><p>“That isn’t fair! Why does everything in this new world belong to you?</p><p>”“Because I’m David 7! Now get out of my vents!” David ordered in a high voice, raising their shoulders so their head was just little bit higher than Trexel’s. Trexel did not challenge David’s authority by trying to raise their head higher and instead just sort of slumped on the ground, defeated.</p><p>“I can’t,” he drawled pitifully, “Bathin’s out there,” he whined in his dramatic voice. David dropped the king-of-the-vents act and became regular David again, shoulders slumping to their regular slant.</p><p>“So?” David scoffed.“So!” Trexel jerked his head up off the floor. “He’s terrible!”</p><p>“Well I don’t think so…” David said, raising a hand to touch their cheek where Bathin had kissed it. “What is it about him that’s so appalling to you, anyway? Is it because he’s absolutely lovely, kind, and selfless? The polar opposite of you?” </p><p>“He likes me, David!” Trexel started to shout, which was the furthest thing from new but had somehow been unexpected, “He really, <i>really</i> likes me and it’s weird and I can’t handle being around him because I don’t know how to deal with it!” Trexel was all but crying, and David hadn’t expected the honesty.</p><p>They sighed heavily, shaking their head. It made sense in a way. They didn’t imagine anyone else had ever genuinely and openly liked Trexel even a small amount, and therefore it made sense that Trexel was confused by and afraid of it.</p><p>“He’s hot, and he wants my body!” Trexel cried louder, “What am I supposed to do with that, David?”</p><p>David didn’t know the answer to that either. They knew what they would do if they were in the same situation but that was definitely not what they were going to advise Trexel to do.</p><p>“I don’t know! But…” David sighed again, “…he’s worried about you. So… could you just come out and show him you’re okay so he can stop?”</p><p>“Why does it matter?” Trexel moaned at David’s feet.</p><p>“Because I don’t like seeing the sad look on his face,” David said, plainly and honestly.</p><p>“Well… can’t you just take a picture of me in here, not dead, and show it to him like ‘here you go! Trexel’s not dead! Now stop crying!’?”</p><p>“I don’t have a camera.”</p><p>Trexel huffed, “Just as well. If you did give him a picture of me he’d probably take it back to his ship and do things with it. I know I would!”</p><p>“Please don’t put that image in my head…” the image of Bathin in a large, soft-looking chair with a photo of something decidedly indiscernible in one hand and in the other, his… “…on second thought…” David’s mouth started to fill with goo, then they quickly shook the thought away.</p><p>“No, not now…” they said to themself with discipline. “Trexel, please, how long do you plan to stay in here?”</p><p>“Until Bathin is gone,” Trexel said bluntly. “Maybe a little longer if I’m not done mapping the place by then. Here, look what I have so far!” Trexel handed David a piece of paper with his name written in soot and a little drawing of a dust bunny. David crumpled it and threw it over their shoulder, a gesture to which Trexel did not react at all.</p><p>“Look, I don’t want Bathin to be gone,” David said, “so either come out now, or stay in here forever,” David said, hoping the ultimatum would work so they could get the hell out of here. Their onesie was so dirty, after they’d worked so hard to keep it clean all this time.</p><p>“You don’t want Bathin to go?” Trexel scoffed, then narrowed his eyes at David. “David, I’m going to make an inference. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, or if I’m over-stepping—,”</p><p>“You definitely are—”</p><p>“—but do you have a… a thing for Bathin? Like… a little crush? Do you have a little clone crush on Bathin, David?”</p><p>David rolled their eyes, “Oh, no, not at all Trexel, where could you possibly have gotten that idea?” They responded with all the sarcasm they could muster.</p><p>“No, no, I think you do!” Trexel said, wagging his finger, “you’ve hidden it well over the years but, you see, nothing gets passed Trexel Geistman!”</p><p>“I’ve been alive for five months,” David reminded, “and anyway, it’s none of your business why I don’t want him to leave, I just don’t. So he’s staying. Preferably forever, or at least long enough that if you don’t come out you’ll starve in here so—“</p><p>“Bold of you to assume I need to eat to survive!”</p><p>“…so just come out, Trexel!”</p><p>“Fine,” Trexel said, huffing about it but ultimately caving, “I’m thirsty anyway. And to be honest with you I’ve been trying to get out for a few hours now and I’m beginning to suspect I might be lost. That, or the ducts are changing, which I think is much more likely.”</p><p>“Okay, well, I know the way out, so just follow me,” David said, and started to turn.</p><p>“Oh, David wait,” Trexel said, and then David turned back to face him. “Here, I found this funny thing in here. It’s for you,” he was holding out a purple stress ball with orange eyes and a mouth that popped out when you squeezed it. David knew this because Trexel was currently squeezing it as he was handing it to David.</p><p>“Thank you, Trexel,” they held out their hand and Trexel dropped it in.</p><p>“It’s because you’re always so stressed out these days,” Trexel clarified, “maybe you can beat it up with your fists and that’ll help you unwind a bit.”</p><p>“Okay, thank you,” David repeated, not willing to admit or even comment on the idea that they were at all visibly stressed out. They turned around and started back the way they came, expecting Trexel to follow. Trexel’s map might’ve been nonsense, but David had mapped the ducts internally, and the vent they came through to begin with wasn’t far. They didn’t have to look back at any point to make sure Trexel was still there, as he would grunt or shout something or go off on a tangent about every 30 seconds. </p><p>————————————————</p><p>David crawled out of the vent, feet hitting the metal grate floor with a metallic thud before they looked around. They didn’t see Bathin, and wondered for a moment if he had returned to David’s tent or had stepped out. That moment was interrupted by Trexel clambering out of the vent behind them, seeming to not notice the floor had stopped and falling out of it onto his face.</p><p>It was in that same moment that Bathin appeared, standing up from what must’ve been a bench a few meters down the hall that was hidden behind a long since empty slurry machine. He looked over with wide eyes, relief in them when they met with David’s. Then they shifted down to the crumpled groaning mess on the floor.</p><p>“David!” Trexel said with his mouth smushed against the metal grating, “David, help me up!” He reached upward and waved his hand around, fingers grabbing for David’s hand until he finally found it and gripped it tightly. He was pulled up easily, but didn’t notice until he was on his feet that the hand wasn’t as slimy as it should have been.</p><p>He looked up at his aide and found Bathin looking back at him instead of David.</p><p>“Gah!” He exclaimed and jump backward, yanking his hand away and then reflexively wiping it on his shirt.</p><p>“Hello Trexel,” Bathin said smoothly despite the outburst, “It’s been a long time.”</p><p>“Yes,” Trexel said, clearing his throat, “yes it has,” he regarded Bathin through narrowed eyes for a moment, perhaps sizing him up. Then he all of the sudden stepped left and took off running out of the ship and into the grass and just kept on running, stumbling at once point but then regaining his footing and continuing on at full speed. Full speed wasn’t that fast for Trexel, but he was definitely getting away.</p><p>Bathin turned to David, which surprised David as they expected that Bathin would’ve immediately chased after him.</p><p>“Thank you for finding him,” Bathin said, taking a step forward and placing his hands on David’s shoulders.</p><p>“Oh, of course, no problem, I—,” David was cut off when Bathin tilted his head, leaned in, and kissed them on the lips. David froze up like they’d been dropped into a vat of liquid nitrogen, arms stiff at their sides and fingers twitching. Did Bathin know they’d never kissed anyone before? Did Bathin know they’d barely ever even been touched by another person before?</p><p>It didn’t matter, David decided quickly, and they finally forced themself to relax against his lips, tilting his head slightly to press back and closing their eyes just like they’d always wanted. Then, as suddenly as it came, it was gone. Bathin had pulled his mouth away and taken his big hands off David’s shoulders.</p><p>“See you around,” was all Bathin said, before he too went running out of the ship in the same direction Trexel had. David had to assume it was to try and catch up with Trexel, but their brain was hardly functioning at the moment. Kissing was nice, or at least it was nice when it was Bathin. Kissing Bathin was so very nice, and they never imagined they’d actually get to do it.</p><p>It took a while, but when the daze finally did pass, David realized they’d been left alone on the crashed ship with no one to guide them through the elements back to their tent. Bathin had also taken their earplugs in his pocket when he’d gone. All David had now was the the stupid stress ball Trexel had given him.</p><p>Bathin never would have been so inconsiderate under normal circumstances. They squeezed the ball, its eyes bulging and its mouth covered by their fist. David blamed Trexel.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>SO! Important announcement. (again) It seems likely that Bathin will be canonically introduced in friday's episode (tomorrow for me, I'm terrified) and I'm just here to say that if he is too different from mine in this fic I'll probably be abandoning this. Mostly posting this update just to make the world aware of that, and sorry to anyone who may have been invested. My brain refuses to function if it can't at least fool itself into thinking it's writing things that are in-character. IF canon Bathin is similar enough to mine, then I might finish this. Anyway, I guess we'll all just see.</p><p>Sorry again, I had hoped when I started this that I would either finish it by the time Bathin became A Real Boy or that he just never would. Good news is I might write something else, because idk I like SF right now. Putting this at the end of the fic as well.</p><p>Thanks for reading, and at least David and Bathin got to smooch, right?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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